Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman of the committee. Mr. Speaker, last July the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4572, the STELA Reauthorization Act, by unanimous vote. Today, after extensive consultation with our colleagues in the Senate, we are offering a second version of STELA's reauthorization, which will extend the copyright and retransmission consent provisions for distant signals retransmitted by commercial satellite providers for 5 years. Now, if we don't act to extend these provisions by the end of this Congress, there will be 1.5 million subscribers to satellite television, including many in my home State of Oregon, that just won't have access to broadcast network programming come New Year's Day. This bill represents the best of how Congress can work together and get things done. Today's version of STELAR is a compromise bill that incorporates the previously passed provisions--these were passed unanimously by the House earlier this year--with the provisions that passed by voice vote out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Now, by coming together to produce legislation with strong, bipartisan, bicameral support, we have demonstrated our clear commitment to the continued availability of broadcast programming to millions of subscribers and to some targeted and, in some cases, much- needed reforms to our communications laws. Specifically, Mr.…”